Palo Alto: Homeless man's leg crushed by fallen tree

A homeless man's leg was crushed Tuesday night when a large oak tree fell on a shed in which he had taken refuge, according to the Palo Alto Fire Department.

Neighbors of a community garden at 1313 Newell Road called 911 at about 11:32 p.m. after hearing the man's cries for help.

Rescue units arrived to find a tree had fallen and destroyed a shed in the garden. The tree landed on the man, who had gone into the shed earlier to get out of the cold and rainy weather, the fire department said. The tree's circumference was described as between 2 and 3 feet.

Air bags, cribbing and a safety support device called a "Rescue 42" were used to lift and stabilize the tree, according to the fire department. Between the saturated ground and the weight of the tree, the air bags were pushed to their limit, but crews were able to free the man in about 40 minutes.

The man was taken to Stanford Hospital at about 12:27 a.m. to be treated for a crushed lower left leg.